Machine for handling foundry moulds



Aug. 20, 1963 JEAN-JACQUES GERARDIN 3,100,920

MACHINE FOR HANDLING FOUNDRY MOULDS 3 Sheets-Sheet .l

Filed Nov. 20, 1961 Aug. 20, 1963 JEAN-JACQUES GERARDIN MACHINE FOR HANDLING FOUNDRY MOULDS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 20, 1961 .m mf im u 1d L .7, n.. ma

JEAN-JACQUES GERARDIN 3,100,920

.MACHINE Fon HANDLING FoUNDRY MouLns Aug. 20, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 20, 1961 .m .M f h m w, E. w G fwaw V .5 M u wm D w. m TLA s N a m mm S m n mm g m M xm Em ,.A. r||||L rIlL w m, wm

United States Patent O 33.00326 j MACHINE FR HANDLENG FOUNBRY MULBS dean-.langues Gerardin, Clos-Jean, Ponte-Mousson, France, assigner to Compagnie De Ponte-Mousson, Nancy, MeurtheetMoselie, France, a corporation of France Filed Nov. Ztl, 1951, Ser. No. l53,537 Claims priority, application France, Nov.' 22, 1960 4 Claims. (Cl. 22--1tl) The present invention relates to the handling of found-ry moulds of the metallic type having two parts capable of being united and separated and more particularly 'to the transferring of these moulds to the different lworking stations and their mechanical opening and closing by the 3-,li)0,92ii Patented Aug. 20, 1963 mould handling machine, whereas said two parts are prol vided with lugs by means of ywhich they are taken hold of by an opening and closing mechanism of the machine.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description, with reference to Y the accompanying drawings to which the invention is in separation and .union of saidV two parts respectively.

By foundry mould is meant in the ensuing description not `only moulds for casting various parts and objects, but also core boxes for casting cores forming part of said moulds. j

In mechanized foundries, the handling apparatus for the moulds lare subjected to severe service conditions: erosion by the projections of sand due mainly to the use of blowing machines, alternating expansions and shrinkarges in the regions of `production of heat, such as in the pouring stations or the ovens and outside said regions. rFhis results in considerable wear and high maintenance i, costs. i These working conditionsV are particularly harmx fulto the mould opening and closing mechanisms. These A mechanisms generally comprise guiding slides and other relatively fragile elements and are in known machines controlled so as to follow the movements of the mould transfer device and consequently undergo material varia.- tions in temperature jdue to successive passages through stations suoh las the pouring `and drying stations at which high tcmperaturesprevail and a station or stations at room temperature, in particular the station at which the casting yor core isremoved from the mould or core box.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine for handling metal moulds having two parts separated by a joint plane, said machine being of the type comprising a mould transfermechanism by means of which each mould is caused to pass `through and stop at each one of a series of successive stations'and opening and closing mechanism for. said moulds and -being'so improved as fto remedy the afore mentioned disadvantages of known machines by avoidingrsubjecting the opening and l`closing mechanism to anylarge variationintemperautre and eliminating any rubbing surfac-ecapable of undergoing rapid wear thereby imparting to said improved machine great strength.

This result is ol tained owing to the 4fact that in said improved machine the mould opening andclosing mechan' ism` disposed at a fixed station corresponding `to the casting or core removal station, is adjacent and associated with the transfer mechanism from which it is independent andisadapted to iirmly Atake hold of each mould arniving l at said fixed station, open it and close -it and iinally return it in the `closed condition to said transfer mechanism.

In one embodiment of ther invention, the transfer j mechanism :for the moulds comprises at least one vertical t to take hold of each one of said parts of the mould to be opened, one of said devices being fixed relative to a given point in said path whereas the other is movable relative no Way limited.

in the dnawings:

FIG. l is a diagrammatic elevational view of the i machine according to the invention provided for handling moulds constituted in this case by 4core boxes, the front uprights of the stand havin-g beenremoved;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the machine shown in FIG. 1; t

FIG. 3 is a partial horizontal sectional view taken along line 3--3` of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a partial viewl similar to FIG. 1, the machine being in the position `for raising a mould;

FIG. 5 is a partial View similar to FIG. 3, the machine being in the position for opening a mould; PIG. 6-is a partial horizontal sectional :View taken along line 6-6` ofFlGLMS, and j j j' FIG. 7 is a partial horizontal `sectional view of a modication ofthe hooking means for hooking the moulds to the transfer device. l i

in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 6, the invention is applied to the manufacture of cores produced by means of a mixture of sand and resin which must be hardened b-y application of heat, and more particularly to the handling of moulds (M) constitutedpfor exemple, by core boxes i through a horizontal circular pathiwhose centre is situated p on avertical axis X-X and pass'in succession through 'M1 (.FIGSQ l and 3) in a moulding stationI (for example a blowing machine of known type, not shown), then, through M? to M3 in a drying oven ll (the interior of the oven being shown in dotedash lines) toML in a"casting or core removal station HI'. v j

The machine comprises, disposed on a stand A: a transfer mechanism B for passing each mould in` succession through the stationsl to ll, located at thestationlll, a mechanism C `forop'er'iing.` and closing each mould which arrives at this station anda retractable abutment device D for stopping the mould `to be opened precisely belowthe mechanism C, t

Thetstand A comprises a base I, rigid uprights Zand an upper bolster 3. j

The transfer mechanism B is mounted on the basel and `comprises a `rigid support constituted. by a `vertical pivot 4 having an axis Xf-X about which the moulds are adapted to describe a circular path.

A number n of horizontal ymould support means or bars 6 'are laterally connected to the pivot 4 through the medium of lugs 5. The pivot 4 comprises, spaced a `certain distance below the lugs l5, a support or bearing Y upper, part of their sides pipes 29-39 and 29d-Stia as shown.

each mould is adapted to remain fixed during the opening of the mould at station III and is provided in the upper.

part of its side directed toward the pivot with a pair of hooking means or of ears S and 9 which hook on one of the suppert bars e of the pivot. The other part b of the mould is adapted to be displaced in the course of opening the mould and does not comprise hooking ears for the lbar `6. The ear 9 of the part a is disposed on the part a Ain the lmanner of. a cantilever so as to face or overlap the part b and thereby hold the mould in equilibrium or balance in opposition to `a tilting torque about the ear 8. When the mould is closed, its part b is maintained in position vertically by the part a through the medium ofV dowels cand hooks and pins described hereinafter, and the two parts bear at the lower part of their sides against the square plate 7 of the pivot 4.

Half Iway up the sides of the moulds, the latter com- Y prise releasable Afastening means for interconnecting the Vparts a and b, `the fastening means comprising a pan' of hooks 10 pivoted to the part a at 11 and with which are associated pins 1,2 fixed tothe movable part b and on is applied Vfor retracting the hook from the pin 12 and is extended at'its other end in the form of an actuating lever 14 having such length as to project from the part a and render the hook accessible to the operator. The lever renders accessible, in particular that one of the two hooks 10 disposed toward the interior of the machine, that is, near the pivot `4. t f

The parts a vand b of each imould are provided at'the with a pair of dat suspension lugs or handles 17s?? The mould opening andclosing mechanism C consists, at the casting removal station III, of two devices secured tothe bolster 5 in such manner that one of the devices .'(P) is located above the part a of the mould in the positionM4 .and thefother deviceis movable in translation` relative to the first device between a irst position Q in which it isalongsidethe iirst device P and is above part bof the closed mould M4 (FIGS. 2 andV 3), and a second a', pair of rigid pillars 19 from the bolster 3 soas to be Vdisposedjabove the part a ofthe mould in position M4,

there-being lai vertical clearance j (FIG. l) between the t' plate 1S andthe closed mould when the latter rests, through the medium of the part a on the corresponding support bar 6, and, through the medium of the two .parts a and b'against the plate 7. Secured tothe top of the -plate 18de ajack or-lramafw, forexample, a pneumatic ram having a double-acting piston the vertical pistonrod Vot" which terminates at its upper'end in a fork 21 pivoted to a stirrup member 22 the arms of which are so shaped `as to` encompass the opposite end faces of the part a of themould M4 and terminate in hooks 23 `(FIG. l)

adapted to engage Iunder the lugs 17,0f the part a. Y

The other device, movable between the positions Q (FIGS. 2 and 3) and Q1 (FIGS.,5 and 6), comprises a plate 24 suspended by means' of two pairs of ilexible strips 25 Afrom the bolster 3 in such manner that, inthe Vposition Q, theplate is disposedV above the moving part Vb of the mould M4 on the same -level as the fixed plate l 1,8. Secured to the moving plate 24 is a jack or ram 26 pipes 3@ and 36a to a second main supply pipe 32. The pipes 3f. and 32 constituteV two ways of a lfour-way tap 33. The two other ways of the tap are constituted by a pipe 34 supplying the liiuid under pressure, and a discharge pipe 35. t Y

The moving plate 24 further comprises a pair of lugs 36 pivoted at 37 to the actuating device R, in the presentlydescribed embodiment -to the rod 38 of the piston of a double-acting pneumatic ram 39 adapted to shift the movable device from the positionQ to the position Q1. The ram R is pivotally suspended in a substantially horizontal position by means of a pair of lugs 4t) at the lower end of a rigid pillar consisting of two coupled arms 41 (FIGS. 2, 5 and `6) suspended from the bolster 3. It is supplied by a pair of pipes 42 and 43 (FIGS. 2 and 5,) constituting two ways of a four-way tap 44 whose two other Ways are constituted by a pipe 4S supplying iiuid under pressure and a discharge pipe 45. Y

The device D for putting the mould in the position M4 Y at the casting orcore removal station comprises, fixed to the base 1, a support 47 (FIGS. 1 and 3) to which is pivoted a retractable abutment member 48 for stopping the core boxes or moulds at M4 immediately below the devices P, Q of the mould opening mechanism. This abutment member is constituted by a bell-crank pivoted at the apex of the crank. Oneof the ends of this crank performs the function of an abutment for the -mould whereas the other end acts as an operating lever for the operator. Y r

The machine operatesin the following manner: Y

Let it be supposed that the pivot 4 is'stationary andV that a core box or mould has been stopped at M4 by the `-In order to open this box, the following operations are performed:

The tap 33 is first turned in such manner as to connect l the fluid supply pipe 34 to the main pipel and the main identical to the ram 21 and adapted to actuate, through Y the medium ofa fork 27, a stirrup member 2.8` identical lto 'the member 22 and performing for the part b the same function as the member 22 performs 'for the part a.

The rams 20 and 26 are fed (FIG. 2) by a pair of t The pipes 29 and 29av are V,connected to a main supply pipe 31 and the pipe 32 (FIG. 5) to the discharge pipe 35. As `a result oh this, the stirrup members 22'and 28 of rthe devices P and Q are raised and, in taking hold of the parts a Y At this moment, the mould is .suspended from the bolster of the machine through the medium of the members 22 and 28. The lower face of the mould is moreover at a level very slightly higher than that of the support plate 7 of the` pivot 4 but its part a remains engaged on the corresponding support bar 6. Therefore, in this position, the plate 18 to which the part a is secured, holds the pivot4 stationary through the medium of the ears 8and 9 of the parta.

The hooks 10 are unhooked from the pins 12 to unlock the mould M4?. Thereafter the abutment member 48 is retracted by the operator to the position Shown in dotdash line at 48a (FIG. 1) so as to permit opening this mould.

The four-way tap 44 is turned from the position lshown in FIG. 2 to that shown in FIG. 5 so as to connect the pipe 43 to the supply pipe 45 and the pipe 42 to thedischarge pipe 46 (FIG. 5). The ram 39 of the actuating device R then shifts the moving plate 24 from the left towards the right. As the part b of the mould M4 is con# nected to the plate 24 by the stirrup member 28, it is shifted at the same time as this plate. The shifting of the plate causes the ilexible strips 25 to bend and they assume the curvature shown in FIG. 5. The separation of the part b from the part a-which separation does not take place in a horizontal plane but is accompanied by a slight raising of the part b as shown in FIG. 5 owing to the deformation of the strips 25-is made possible by the position of the dowels c whose axis is in the joint plane of `the two parts'a and b and any wedging is avoided.

Owing to the fact that the plate 24 moves toward the axis of suspension of the ram 39 the latter assumes a certain inclination relative to the horizontal. The shifting of the part b of the mould occurs until the piston of the ram 39 is at the end of its travel toward the right. At this moment the mould M4is fully opened (FIG. 5).

The opening of the moulds permits, on the one hand, withdrawing the core or casting and, on the other hand, cleaning the mould and applying thereto, if desired, an insulating coating.

To close themould, the reverse operations are effected: the four-way tap 44 is returned to the position shown in FIG. 2 and this causes the return of the piston of the ram 39 toward the left and consequently the return of the plate 24 to its initial position and the shifting of the part b toward the part a of the mould M4. Owing to the fact that the parts a and b are secured to the plates 18 and 24 which act as guides, and owing to the positioning of the =cylindrical dowels c in the joint plane, the part b easily resumes its position and its against the part a. The exible strips 25 resume their straight shape. In order to lock the mould in the closed position, the hooks are re-hooked over the pins 12.

The tap 33 is returned to the position shown in FIG. 2 and this causes the descent of the pistons in the rams 20 and 26 and the lowering of the stirrup members 22 and 28. During the downward travel of these members the mould M4, whose part a remained engaged on the bar 6, is guided by the latter and once more becomes supported on this bar and against the plate 27. When the pistons of the rams 20 and 126 are at the end of their downward travel, the hooks 23 of the members 22 and 28 release the lugs 17 as shown in FIG. l.

The operator then exerts a thrust on the mould M4 so as to turn the pivot 4 through a quarter of a revolution in the direction of arrow f (FIG. 2) and shift the mould M4 from the casting removal station `III to M1 at the moulding station I, whereas the following mould M3 coming from the oven II which contains a core or other casting ready to be removed from the mould, is in turn brought to the casting or core removal station III where it is stopped by the abutment member 48 which is raised to the position shown in full line in IFIG. 1. One operational icycle has iinished. It is repeated thereafter in the same manner.

vIt can be seen that the machine according to the invention is particularly advantageous in that it is simple and strong. It has in particular no rubbing element liable to wear out. Its mould opening and closing mechanism is fixed and does not accompany the core boxesor mould inside the oven II and is not subjected to heat.

More particularly, owing to the system of hooking each mould to the support bar 6 by means of the ears 8 vand 9 and its simple bearing against the plate 7, the mould is connected in a sure manner to the pivot but is easily removable therefrom to permit its raising and opening. Further, the support bar 6 and the ears 8 and 9 co-opcrate in the guiding of the mould and insure that it is put back into vcorrect position on the transfer mechanism B when the members 22 and 28 descend.

Owing to the plates 18 and 24 and to the members 22 and 2S which hold the parts a and b of the mould against said plates, these two parts are lirmly suspended `from the bolster 3 of the stand A when rthe mould is opened. This combination between the plates 18 and 24 and the members 22 and 28 is just as effective as a clamp having a ixed jaw and a movable jaw while it is much lighter and takes up less space, since the movable jaw of the clamp is replaced by the members 22 and 28 terminating in the hooks 23. This combination has the further advantage off guiding the two parts a and b of the mould at the beginning of its opening and at the end of its closure.

It is, moreover, clear that the extremely simple way in the moulds are taken hold of andguided (combination of the plates 18 and 24, members22 and 28 and llugs 17) enable the moulds to be readily and rapidly interchanged.

If it is `desired to mount on the machine moulds having another moulding print `for manufacturing 'different castings, it is merely necessary to unhook the already mounted moulds and hook the new moulds in position, on condition of course that they have the same outside shapes. No adjustment or setting is necessary.

The manner in which the plate 24 is suspended from the bolster 3 through the medium of flexible strips 25 has the great advantage of eliminating any frictional gnide means and thus greatly simplitiesthe construction as concerns the mounting of the plate `24. The manner in which the two parts a and b of the mould are set relative to each other by means tot the dowels c disposed in the joint plane permits the use of these flexible strips without risk of wedging when starting the separation of the parts or bringing the latter together.

In the modiiication shown in FIG. 7, Ithe support bar 6 is fixed to the pivot 4 at its middle and at one of its ends only. The part a lof the mould has only one hooking ear `49 and the part b has an identical hooking ear 50 engaged on the end of the bar 6 so as to permit opening the mould. The machine operates in the same manner as the previously-described machine.

Although speciic embodiments of the invention have been described, many modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as deiined in the appended claims.

Instead of a rotational transfer of the moulds the transfer device could be `arranged to transfer the moulds in translation. Indeed the invention is applicable to production lines. In this case, the production line would have a series ot rigid vertical supports corresponding to the element 4 and each provided vwith an upper support bar 6 and a lower bearing plate 7 which are parallel with the direction of translation of the production line so as to dispose the joint plane of the moulds in a direction perpendicular to said direction of translation. In this application, the opening and closing mechanism at the casting removal station would remain iixed and identical to the mechanism C described hereinbefore.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A machine for handling metal moulds in two halves separable along a vertical joint plane, said machine comprising in combination: a stand; on said stand, a rotatable pivot adapted -to stop at each one or a series of stations; a plurality of mould support means canried by said pivot, for suspending the mould halves on said pivotthe number of said support means being equal tothe number of said stations; hooking means provided on each mould for hookingly engaging the support means corresponding to the mould whereby the latter is supported by the support means; a mould opening and closing mechanism mounted on said stand and `disposed at a fixed station and having two devices adapted to rmly `grab respectively said mould halves, each device comprising a transverse element located above the corresponding portion of the mould and mounted on said sta-nd; a stirrup member disposed astride said transverse element and movable relative to the transverse element; each mould. halt having lugs and each stirrup member having hooks capable of engaging under said layer; and a double-acting jack connecting the transverse :element to said stirrup member Vto shift the stirrupmember vertically relative to said transverse element, whereby the stirrnp member, in rising, ap-

plies the hooks thereof under the lugs of the corresponding portion of the mould and applies said portion against the -under face of the corresponding transverse element and, in descending, returns said corresponding portion of the mould to the position in which the hooking elements are hooked on the corresponding mould support means; and reciprocating means connected to tone of said devices for selectively moving the last-narned device away from and toward the other of said Vdevices for opening and closing said moulds.

' 2. A machine according to claim 1, in which the device other thanthat connected to the reciprocating means is rigidly attached to said stand.

3. A machine according to claim 1, in which the device which is connected to the reciprocating means is suspended from the stand by elastically yieldable means in the formof Vspring-bands.

4. A machine according to claim 1, in which said pivot 4is'rigid'and pivots about a vertical axis, and4 each of said References Cited` in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,550,699 Honey Aug. 25, 1925 2,754,555 Young Ju1y17, 1956 Miller a Mai. 5, 1957 

1. A MACHINE FOR HANDLING METAL MOULDS IN TWO HALVES SEPARABLE ALONG A VERTICAL JOINT PLANE, SAID MACHINE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A STAND; ON SAID STAND, A ROTATABLE PIVOT ADAPTED TO STOP AT EACH ONE OF A SERIES OF STATIONS; A PLURALITY OF MOULD SUPPORT MEANS CARRIED BY SAID PIVOT, FOR SUSPENDING THE MOULD HALVES ON SAID PIVOT, THE NUMBER OF SAID SUPPORT MEANS BEING EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF SAID STATIONS; HOOKING MEANS PROVIDED ON EACH MOULD FOR HOOKINGLY ENGAGING THE SUPPORT MEANS CORRESPONDING TO THE MOULD WHEREBY THE LATTER IS SUPPORTED BY THE SUPPORT MEANS; A MOULD OPENING AND CLOSING MECHANISM MOUNTED ON SAID STAND AND DISPOSED AT A FIXED STATION AND HAVING TWO DEVICES ADAPTED TO FIRMLY GRAB RESPECTIVELY SAID MOULD HALVES, EACH DEVICE COMPRISING A TRANSVERSE ELEMENT LOCATED ABOVE THE CORRESPONDING PORTION OF THE MOULD AND MOUNTED ON SAID STAND; A STIRRUP MEMBER DISPOSED ASTRIDE SAID TRANSVERSE ELEMENT AND MOVABLE RELATIVE TO THE TRANSVERSE ELEMENT; EACH MOULD HALF HAVING LUGS AND EACH STIRRUP MEMBER HAVING HOOKS CAPABLE OF ENGAGING UNDER SAID LAYER; AND A DOUBLE-ACTING JACK CONNECTING THE TRANSVERSE ELEMENT TO SAID STIRRUP MEMBER TO SHIFT THE STIRRUP MEMBER VERTICALLY RELATIVE TO SAID TRANSVERSE ELEMENT, WHEREBY THE STIRRUP MEMBER, IN RISING, APPLIES THE HOOKS THEREOF UNDER THE LUGS OF THE CORRESPONDING PORTION OF THE MOULD AND APPLIES SAID PORTION AGAINST THE UNDER FACE OF THE CORRESPONDING TRANSVERSE ELEMENT AND, IN DESCENDING, RETURNS SAID CORRESPONDING PORTION OF THE MOULD TO THE POSITION IN WHICH THE HOOKING ELEMENTS ARE HOOKED ON THE CORRESPONDING MOULD SUPPORT MEANS; AND RECIPROCATING MEANS CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID DEVICES FOR SELECTIVELY MOVING THE LAST-NAMED DEVICE AWAY FROM AND TOWARD THE OTHER OF SAID DEVICES FOR OPENING AND CLOSING SAID MOULDS. 